Adam Rubin of ESPN New York has the year-by-year details of Jon Niese’s new $25.5 million contract with the Mets, which will apparently become official Saturday:
2012: $1.0195 million ($769,500 salary plus $250,000 signing bonus)
2013: $3 million
2014: $5 million
2015: $7 million
2016: $9 million
2017: $10 million option or $500,000 buyout
2018: $10.5 million option or $500,000 buyout
Niese is guaranteed at least $25.5195 million for five years and the deal is worth as much as $45.5195 million for seven years, at which point he’d be a 32-year-old free agent for 2019.
So far Niese has been a solid mid-rotation starter, albeit one who’s yet to throw even 175 innings in a season. If reasonably healthy it’s tough to imagine the Mets regretting the contract too much and if Niese takes the step forward his secondary numbers suggest is possible they’ll get a nice bargain.
